"We're All Just in This Together": State Secretary of Education, Lieutenant Governor, Visit to Learn How Point Park Fights Hunger on Campus Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Chris W. Brussalis, president, sits with Secretary of Education Carrie Rowe, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and Heather Starr Fiedler, managing director of the Center for Civic and Community Engagement, in a panel discussion about the Pennsylvania Hunger-Free Campus Grant Point Park received from the state.
State Secretary of Education Carrie Rowe, Ed.D., and Lt. Governor Austin Davis were at Point Park University recently to discuss food insecurity on campus and the impact the Pennsylvania Hunger-Free Campus Grant is making.
The Hunger Free Campus Grant awarded $1M to 30 schools across Pennsylvania. Point Park received $33,500.
This is the second time Point Park has been a recipient of the grant, which previously helped fund the Community Garden and The Nook, a countertop kitchen. The grant will be used to expand current offerings, such as complete takeaway meals in the Pioneer Pantry Corner Store, larger Break Boxes (offered for Thanksgiving and spring break), adding a student worker to manage the Corner Store, and conducting research on other local pantries.
At a panel discussion held in the Center for Civic and Community Engagement, the public servants heard from students, faculty and staff about Point Park's initiatives.
Fighting hunger for students goes beyond a universal breakfast for children in K-12, said Rowe: "We know that the struggles that students face in the K-12 space don't go away just because they're moving to college, and so making sure that we have resources that are available for university students as well is so important."
"We want to make sure that no young person is struggling with food insecurity," said Davis. "The governor and I recognize that hungry students can't learn."
Fiedler estimates that there has been a doubling of people utilizing the pantry in recent years: "Some of that is the need and some of it is exposure — realizing that it's a resource, us doing a better job at marketing the work that we're doing, and reducing the stigma around it as well. But certainly the need is there more than ever."
Becky Spritz, Ph.D., dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, has been a frequent volunteer in both the Community Garden and Corner Store. "The Corner Store is created like a grocery store," Spritz said, "so there's respect for the students who are coming in and using it."
Grace Smith, a junior sports, arts, entertainment and music business major and Bonner Leader on campus, said she enjoys working the Corner Store shift because it also fosters a sense of community.
"You never know what someone's going through," Smith said. "I have friends who sometimes come down to shop or visit me during my shift, which is always fun. Not only is it helping students who may have extra stressors in dealing with food, but it also brings in a strong sense of community in a way."
Fiedler also shared the history of the pantry, which began in 2017 when Veronika Panagiotou, then a Ph.D. student in the Community Engagement program, saw the need and started the pantry in only a closet.
"Somebody recognized that there was a need, and said, 'We're going to do what we can with what we have, and right now, all we have is this very small space.' And it's grown into something this size, and with fresh vegetable pop-ups and with a community kitchen," Fiedler said.
The panel discussion also highlighted the community involvement in Point Park's initiatives, such as graphic design students creating the Corner Store logo, the Student Government Association helping in the garden, and staff and administration regularly volunteering in the Corner Store.
"It really is an all-campus effort, the work that we're doing here, and it gets everybody involved," Fiedler said. "I think it helps to take away the stigma. We're all just in this together."
Hunger Free Campus Grant Visit in the News
"State Education Secretary, Lieutenant Governor Visit Point Park for Food Accessibility Initiatives," TribLive, March 26, 2026.
"Point Park Uses State Funds to Give Students Access to Fresh, Healthier Food for Free," WESA.org., March 27, 2026.
"Fighting Food Insecurity on College Campuses," WTAE, March 26, 2026.
"Hunger-Free University Initiative," WPXI, March 26, 2026.
